anonymous · 3mo
do you have any tips on overcoming... the fear of being perceived, i guess?? im familiar with handling hate, but i do tend to struggle with how people perceive me nonetheless; even those who are fans of my work. in particular, im unsure if i should work under a new, totally anonymous pseudonym or just... live my truth, let my IRL friends who follow me potentially find out about this "weirder" side of me.
im not sure if youve experienced this yourself, but id love to hear any insight you might have.
the hard truth is that if you already have fans of your "sanitized" works, it will be difficult, if not outright impossible to prevent them from eventually stumbling across (and recognizing) any public psuedonym you create afterwards. true art style chameleons are incredibly rare.
at some point, you're going to have to honestly ask yourself whether you feel like living a "double life" around your more judgmental peers is worth it. where is sincerity and authenticity in your hierarchy of needs? can you stomach being inundated with a culture of scrupulosity? i cannot answer these questions for you.
as for myself, regarding perception: i make art as a form of communication--originally, as a desperate plea to be heard, to be understood.
and now, i may have been heard, but it is increasingly rare for me to feel understood. perhaps you feel similarly. if so, i can only offer my sympathies.
